Soliciting Responses To Mailed Requests

As a business, receiving responses to mailed requests can be tedious, costly, and frustrating. In one experiment conducted in Denmark, simply framing the contents of a mailed request in a way that emphasized action-oriented responses prompted an increase in responses. Specifically, a mailed request usually sent to businesses asking them to register for a database was reformatted to be personalized, easy to follow, organized with checkboxes, emphasized consequences, action-oriented response directions, and had information placed strategically. This reformatted letter, printed on white paper led to a 8% increase in responses, while the same letter printed on red paper, led to a 12% point increase when compared to the standard letter.